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March 6, 2012

Irish is an Attitude

Ha'Penny Bridge Imports of Ireland, Dublin, Ohio

Do you have roots in Ireland? Are you Irish American, even a little bit? Or, like me, do you secretly wish you were every time you hear Irish music? Then I have one quick suggestion for you: run to the iTunes store or your music vendor of choice and get the song “American Land” from Bruce Springsteen’s just-released album, Wrecking Ball.

The song is a celebration of the Irish spirit in American culture. And it's a tribute to American immigrants from every nation. It’s so much fun that I dare you not to smile and tap your feet as you listen along.

The city I live in—Dublin, Ohio—was named after Dublin, Ireland by John Shields. He surveyed the land for the town’s founder, John Sells, back in 1810. Here in Dublin, the slogan is “Irish is an Attitude.” Each year, as the St. Patrick’s Day parade rolls down Bridge Street in March, and again in August as the city welcomes thousands of visitors to the three-day Dublin Irish Festival, it truly does feel like everyone is a little bit Irish. So today, I invite you to feel a little bit Irish, too.

Thanks to my music-loving husband for discovering “American Land." His maternal ancestors—the Baxters, Flacks, Carmichaels, Cleelands, and McIlwaines—hail from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. I haven’t written much about this side of his family yet, but I can feel the inspiration rising with every beat.

Jacqi, I'd love to meet you, too! Absolutely, email me when you know when you'll be visiting and we can plan to get together. The festival is a blast--you'll have to try it when you can. I volunteer at the genealogy tent there every year.

I love being Irish. My maternal grandparents were born in Ireland. My grandfather loved to drink a bit, but every lent he gave up drinking, except St. Patrick's Day didn't count. I still have a number of cousins still over in Ireland.

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About the Author

I'm a family history researcher, writer, and blogger based in Central Ohio. A Sense of Family chronicles my journey into family history, and I'd love to have you read along. In the process, I hope to give you some tips and resources you can use to trace and record the stories of your own family. I also offer professional genealogy services at Buckeye FamilyTrees, where I specialize in researching Ohio ancestors.